Arion Theatre

73-26 Metropolitan Avenue,

Middle Village,
NY11379

Of course I remember Willie’s! Best damn hot dogs and knishes on earth. While we’re at it, anybody remember Zweibel’s (sort of a 5 & 10 store) a little further down Metro on the same side of the street?

As it was the closest $1 movie house to Greenpoint, I would often take the Q-54 bus – when it was still the B-54 – from Brooklyn to visit it. I specifically remember seeing Footloose here and – despite the poor print and dreadful sound – enjoying it greatly. (I clearly concur with the Arion’s technical and maintenance shortcomings – but you could not beat the price!.)

The Arion (“The Itch”) ….I grew up in Middle Village on Furmanville Ave.—it was safe as young kid back then to go to the movies on a Saturday afternoon with friends. Elvis & Ann Margaret movies, King Kong vs. Godzilla movies (……yes…the matron shined that flashlight in my eyes and told me if I did'nt stop crying I would have to leave). My friends would make fun of me all the way walking back home. Great memories.

I tried blowing that photo up, but it’s not high enough resolution and breaks down pretty quickly. However, I was suspicious due to the small number of letters — and it looks to me like it says
TEMPORARY CLOSED
FOR
[SOMETHING]
Cannot make out that last word.
Anybody remember a time in the late 60s when the Arion was closed?

Obviously, Doug Leblang’s paintings are intended to be somewhat idealized memories of his old neighborhood, some more accurate than others. Note that on his website he has another one showing the front of the Arion on which the background color of the front ARION sign differs from that on the one we originally saw. Also note that he’s got a photo of the Arion from what appears to be the late 60s (unfortunately, it doesn’t expand if you click on it) and it clearly shows a larger illuminated marquee area than does his painting.

The number on the marquee is a 6, but you’re right, that depiction is completely wrong. Even the style of movable marquee lettering looks too modern. I don’t know who the artist is or why or when this picture was created, but it should not be confused with reality.
On the other hand, the photos on that site are wonderful.

What’s left of the Arion SHOULD be the building to the rear of and spanning several storefronts on the south side of Metropolitan Ave., with 73rd Pl. a few stores to the left (looking northward; Lutheran Cemetery would be another block to the left) and 74th St. intersecting with Metropolitan across the street just to the right.
I think.

I lived on Metropolitan Ave. and 71st St. in my pre-teen years, so the second-run Arion was my favorite theatre for quite a while. I was only 11 or so, but the theatre seemed gigantic to me at the time.
It was pretty rundown, with red duct tape over the upholstered seats, but they charged $1.50 for kids and I was there pretty much every weekend. They had a smoking and a non-smoking section! I remember a double feature of the corny Western comedy The Villain &
the equally corny Hot Stuff. I also saw Chapter Two, California Suite, Kramer vs. Kramer, the Who’s The Kids Are Alright, Apocalypse Now, Breaking Away, Foxes & The Changeling there. They
had an eclectic booking policy, as I remember quite a few softcore sex comedies playing there, mostly Italian stuff like Wifemistress and The Sensuous Nurse. Sadly, the wily clerk there wouldn’t
let us in. I also remember the infamous Caligula having quite a long run there. They had lobby cards in addition to the movie posters which you don’t see anymore. When I saw that it became
a Jamron Drug store when I moved back to Queens years later, I wasn’t surprised….I was just glad it lasted as long as it did.

Thanks BrooklynJim. The buildings behind the bus just didn’t look like my recollection of Niederstein’s exterior. I haven’t been in that area since the late ‘50s, and frankly I thought it was further east on Metropolitan Ave.

‘Tonino, go to www.subwaywebnews.com and when the title page appears, click on “Bus Photo of the Day” at left. When that appears, scroll down to the Archives listing and click on “X.” Then scroll down six rows. The photo and summary you want are in the #1 spot at far left.

I haven’t attended either the theater or the restaurant since the mid-‘70s, but I believe they were relatively close, perhaps a few blocks at most. Ciao.

‘Tonino, if you go to the website’s Archives (under buses), you’ll see that the location was verified in their capsule summary.

“BrooklynJim could use a refresher course in remedial reading. This drivel is enough to cause a true theatre historian to cringe.”

Three days into his CT membership and Art Theatre already displays an all-wise and sarcastic mouth & keyboard. (Sounds as if he could be related to another pedantic, personality-deprived imbecile we know all-too-well. Maybe Lost Memory isn’t the only one who knows how to morph his multiple screen names!)

I wrote that many of us may have eaten at this restaurant “before or after screenings at the Arion, Ridgewood, Oasis…” etc. The place, with a history all its own, is gone forever. Culturally, we tend to mourn theaters no longer there as well as other places associated with those neighborhoods, such as Niederstein’s. But this newbie couldn’t figure that out and went for the cheap shot instead. What did YOU contribute regarding the Arion, Art?